Family-owned winery Boplaas has claimed the highest award for a port wine and only Platinum medal for the style at this year’s Michelangelo International Wine and Spirit Awards. Underscoring the achievement, only 21 among 1500 entries received this sought-after rating.

In addition to receiving Platinum for its  Cape Tawny Colheita 2007, Boplaas also received Double Gold for its 2023 Shiraz Rosé and Gold for the impending release Single Malt Vintage Port Cask whisky.

“These awards are significant because they reveal once again the consistency in quality over many years and across our range,” says Boplaas co-owner Carel Nel. “The Michelangelo panel being international and so well-experienced also reflects the high level at which our products are recommended.”

A port for all seasons

The Boplaas Cape Tawny Colheita 2007 was aged for 16 years in barrel, giving it a fiery red-brown colour. It has flecks of olive green on the rim, while the bouquet unfurls with notes of walnut, roast almond, butterscotch, spices, citrus, brandy and charred oak. 

On the palate, it is lusciously smooth, showing suggestions of brandied fruits, fruit cake, roast nuts, butterscotch, warm spices and hints of citrus and coffee.

A rosé by any other name

The Boplaas 2023 Shiraz Rosé’s Double Gold represents a score of 93 out of a possible 100. This is a crisp and dry wine with fresh acidity. It shows an appealing, pink-tinged colour with an aroma of fresh red berries and cherries, tinged with spice. Its fruit-forward palate leads to a gentle, dry finish.

Glowing amber

This year’s award for the Boplaas Single Malt Vintage Port Cask whisky is not the first for the Calitzdorp wine cellar and distillery. In the past five years of the Michelangelo Awards, Boplaas whisky has received two Platinum and two Gold medals. The Boplaas 6YO Tawny Cask  and 8YO Virgin Oak Casks have both received platinum in the past, and remain part of Boplaas’s core range.